How Does Biological Belief in Race Relate to Our Feelings towards In-group and Out-groups?: a Cognitive Dissonance Framework

This study considered the effect of belief in race as a biological construct (RACEBIO) and intergroup anxiety (IGA) on in-group racial salience (IGRS) and out-group discomfort (OGD). Participants included 66 racially and ethnically diverse high school boarding students. As hypothesized, RACEBIO was positively related to both IGRS and OGD. In addition, the relationship between RACEBIO and IGRS was significantly stronger among participants with high IGA. The findings support a cognitive dissonance model suggesting that people with high IGA might rationalize their in-group racial salience by strengthening their belief that racial groups are biologically distinct and socially incompatible. Implications for integrating cognitive and affective experiences in educational and clinical interventions are discussed. HOW DOES BIOLOGICAL BELIEF IN RACE RELATE TO OUR FEELINGS TOWARDS IN-GROUP AND OUT-GROUPS?: A COGNITIVE DISSONANCE FRAMEWORK Students in high schools frequently experience social segregation by race (Halualani et al., 2004; Rosenbloom & Way, 2004). Forming racial in-groups and out-groups may be a part of normative and healthy identity development (Helms, 1995; Tatum, 1997) as the youths develop affinity and shared understanding among same race peers (Turner, Brown, & Tajfel, 1979). However, a recent body of literature suggests that forming racial in-groups and out-groups may also be predicated on the misconstrued belief that races are biologically distinct and socially incompatible (Jayaratne, 2006; Shih, Bonam, Sanchez, & Peck, 2007; Williams & Eberhardt, 2008). Belief in presumed “natural” racial differences may relate to the ways in which people interact with their own and different races. People who believe that “races” are biologically distinct groups – rather than socially constructed groups – may prioritize racial in-group interactions and experience discomfort in relation to racial out-groups. Moreover, the extent to which one’s biological perception of race affects one’s social interaction with racial inand out-group members may depend on the extent to which people are generally anxious in inter-racial group settings. The cognitive dissonance theory (CDT; Festinger, 1954) proposes that if someone has emotions/behaviors and beliefs that are incongruent, this dissonance is most easily resolved by modifying the belief system, rather than the emotion or behavior. If someone feels anxious interacting with members of another racial group, they may reduce this anxiety by “affirming” their belief that racial groups are biologically distinct and thus socially incompatible. In this study, we examined the effect of belief in race as a biological construct (RACEBIO) on in-group racial salience (IGRS; the extent to which a person makes their race salient to their identity; Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992) and out-group discomfort (OGD; the extent to which a person feels uncomfortable in various social out-group contexts, such as dating, friendships, and social activities). In addition, we explored the effect of inter-group anxiety (IGA; Stephan & Stephan, 1985) on the relationships between RACEBIO and IGRS, and RACEBIO and OGD. BELIEF IN RACE AS A BIOLOGICAL CONSTRUCT AND IN-GROUP/OUT-GROUP ORIENTATION Historically, racial groups (e.g., White, Asian, Black, and Native Americans) were assumed to have immutable genetic, physical, intellectual, and moral differences (Omi & Winant, 1994). Contemporary biological and social scientists, however, concur that racial groups are socially, rather than biologically, constructed (Marks, 1996; Tate & Audette, 2001; Omi and Winant, 1994). For instance, an important argument against the biological basis of race is that there is as much genetic variation within a single “racial group” as there is between any two racial groups (Marks, 1996). Despite the consensus among scientists that race is socially constructed, many people in our society continue to assume that race is a biological concept. Consequently, people who believe that race is biological are likely to have a greater tendency to prioritize their racial in-group and feel discomfort interacting in out-group settings. Various theories and research findings from social and clinical psychology outlined below support this proposed relationship: 1) Belief in race as biological suggests that racial differences are bounded, immutable, and stable across time and situational contexts (Markus, 2009). Traits and dispositions (e.g., aggression, shyness, etc.) are thought to be preserved in “the body and blood of people associated with a particular race” (Markus, 2009, p. 657). As a result, social segregation may be perceived as a “natural” order given the distinctness of racial groups from one another. Efforts to overcome initial discomfort and foster positive inter-racial group relations may be seen as futile, given the assumed lack of compatibility between racial group members. People may choose instead to remain “where they belong” within the confines of their racial in-group. 2) Belief in race as biological reflects a rigid, positivist mode of cognition that may provoke social discomfort. According to cognitive theory, the ways in which individuals understand or interpret events and situations “mediate how they subsequently feel and behave” (Reinecke & Freeman, 2003, p. 229). Research suggests that rigid thinking in general—not just related to race—is related to social discomfort, as the nuances and complexity of real life scenarios require more flexible thinking (Chiarrochi, Said, & Deane, 2005; Dugas, Freeston, & Ladouceur 1997). In race-related situations, the social discomfort might be particularly notable because the variability and complexity in real life out-group settings may discord with the rigid and narrow proscriptions of biological notions of race. 3). Belief in race as biological has been empirically examined and has been found to have significant effects on people’s inter-group attitudes and behaviors in general (Jayaratne, 2006; Shih, Bonam, Sanchez, & Peck, 2007; Williams & Eberhardt, 2008). Jayaratne (2006) used a random digit dialing procedure to interview 600 White Americans (participants’ race was selfreported) across the U.S. and found that “biological essentialism,” which was measured by a 2 item Likert scale developed for this study, was significantly related to increased prejudice towards Blacks. Shih et al. (2007) found that among 129 Non-Asian, primarily White participants, socially constructed views of race – measured by eight items assessing beliefs about race, including revered scored items referencing the biological conception of race – buffered the negative impact of stereotype threat. Based on a study with 507 high school students, Williams and Eberhardt (2008) reported that belief in race as biological, which was measured by 22-item Likert scale, negatively predicted both willingness to initiate relationships with members of racial out-groups and actual diversity among friends. These studies suggest that the cognitive belief in race as biological does influence inter-group attitudes and behavior (e.g., prejudice, willingness to interact across racial groups). Social and clinical psychology theories suggest, however, that behavior is rarely a function of one’s cognition alone; rather, behavior is a result of a complex interaction between cognitions, motivations, and feelings (Aronson, 2007; Festinger, 1954). In inter-racial interactions, people’s behavior is not only informed by cognitive beliefs such as racial group distinction, but it is also informed by various affective experiences such as inter-group anxiety (Stephan & Stephan, 1985). Belief in races as biologically distinct and inter-group anxiety may interact to reinforce in-group and out-group behaviors. Our study contributes to the field by exploring the ways in which cognitive belief in race as biological relates to inter-group behavior and affective experiences. THE MODERATING EFFECT OF INTERGROUP ANXIETY: A COGNITIVE DISSONANCE MODEL Inter-group anxiety has been defined as affective arousal related to the anticipation of negative experiences in inter-group settings (Stephan & Stephan, 1985). People who experience intergroup anxiety frequently avoid contact with individuals or groups of a different race. Inter-group anxiety may be developed through early prejudicial socialization (e.g., from parents/caretakers) or actual negative encounters with members of another race (Stephan & Stephan, 1985). It is plausible that the relationship between belief in race as biological and inand out-group orientations is affected by the extent to which people experience inter-group anxiety. Cognitive dissonance theory, one of social psychology’s most prominent theories, offers a model for integrating cognition, affect, and behavior. We adopt this theory to understand how the relationship between belief in race as biological (cognition) and in-group and out-group orientations (behaviors) may be affected by the level of one’s inter-group anxiety (affect). According to cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1954), belief systems are often modified or strengthened to become congruent with an individuals’ behavior or affect. In the case of our study, we expect that people who have higher levels of inter-group anxiety may rationalize their affective discomfort across groups by modifying or strengthening the belief that races are biologically distinct and socially incompatible. We tested the following hypotheses: 1. Higher levels of RACEBIO will be related to higher levels of IGRS. 2. Higher levels of RACEBIO will be related to higher levels of OGD. 3. Among participants with higher levels of Intergroup Anxiety, the relationship between RACBIO and OGD will be significantly stronger. 4. Among participants with higher levels of Intergroup Anxiety, the relationship between RACBIO and IGRS will be significantly stronger.